The Philomath Frolic and Rodeo’s Community Easter Egg Hunt returns to the rodeo grounds in Skirvin Park this year with the event scheduled to begin at 10:02 a.m. Saturday.
Last year’s hunt moved to Clemens Field at Philomath High School while the Frolic and Rodeo’s grandstands construction project was underway. With that work behind them, organizers are looking forward to the familiar surroundings.
“It looks amazing down there right now,” said Alyssa Collins, Philomath Frolic and Rodeo board president. “At this time last year, it was definitely a construction zone so to have it looking really good again is exciting.”
The free event has grown steadily since the Frolic and Rodeo took over its organization in 2022, drawing close to 400 children each of the past two years. Collins said the organization takes pride in keeping the tradition going locally.
“The Frolic has always been very community minded when it comes to anything and everything that we do,” she said. “So we feel really honored to be able to do special things like this in our community, to give back to the community and to the kids.”
The rodeo grounds will be divided into age-group sections — 3 and under, ages 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 and 10-11 — with start times staggered for each group. Organizers will place 8,000 plastic eggs filled with candy and goodies across the separate grass areas.
“We know how many eggs are in each age group … When people come in and tell us what age group they’re in, we let the participants know how many eggs they can pick up so that it’s somewhat equal. We try to keep it as fair as possible,” Collins said.
This year brings one notable change to the egg hunt — for the first time, all 8,000 eggs will come prestuffed rather than being filled by volunteers. That also means participants get to keep the plastic eggs they find, rather than emptying and returning them as in past years.
“We’ve always gotten together and stuffed them and it’s a lot of work and a lot of time — not that we mind doing that,” Collins said. “But then having to store them and then clean them and replace broken ones year after year. We just decided to go the prestuffed route.”
For the hunt itself, organizers plan to use the grass area behind the grandstands and into the baseball fields.
“We feel like we can make it a little more clearly defined and easier for people to stand and watch,” Collins said.
For older participants, the popular Mud Hunt returns to the rodeo arena. Open to ages 12 and up — kids and adults alike — the event features eggs placed in the mud with $1, $5 and $20 bills tucked inside some of them. There is a $5 entry fee.
The event will also feature appearances by the Easter Bunny, the Chick-fil-A cow and the Frolic queen and princess, all available for photos.
Collins encouraged families to arrive well ahead of the 10:02 start — she suggested around 9:30 a.m. — to allow time for kids to get lined up before the hunt kicks off on its prompt schedule. Children should bring their own basket for collecting eggs.
“It’s fun to be able to keep that tradition alive and in our community rather than having to go outside of our community,” Collins said. “So it is special and we all really enjoy it.”
Churches hosting Easter egg hunts
Two churches in Philomath are inviting the public to participate in their Easter egg hunts on Sunday. Peace Lutheran Church (2540 Applegate St.) and College United Methodist Church (1123 Main St.) will both stage hunts following their Sunday morning worship services.
Peace Lutheran Church plans to begin its Easter egg hunt at 11:15 a.m. College United Methodist Church estimates its event to begin for youngsters at around 11:45 a.m.
